


A Week in Wakanda

by BitterTongue



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 01:38:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16965264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterTongue/pseuds/BitterTongue
Summary: When you’re homesick for a place you cannot return to why not try Wakanda?





	A Week in Wakanda

**Author's Note:**

> Ported over from my tumblr Cordytriestowrite

Steve Rogers has lost his damn mind. So you had one teeny, tiny mental breakdown, that doesn’t mean he has the right to ship you off to Wakanda.  
“It’s working for Bucky,” he told you as he marched you up to the plane. “Just go for a week and clear your head.”  
So after running and hiding with Steve, Sam, Wanda, and Natasha you were being shipped off, separated from the team all because you were a little homesick.  
Okay, so you were more than a little homesick and you did cause the destruction of a small bakery, but you didn’t think it was enough to send you away like he did Barnes.  
Speaking of Barnes, how did Steve think putting you two together would be a good idea? He had almost killed you upon your first meeting. You knew that wasn’t the real Bucky, the Bucky Steve had grown up with, but still just the sight of the man terrified you for the brief time he had joined the team.  
-  
You had to admit, Wakanda was beautiful. As you soared through the sky above the expansive fields and marvelous buildings you couldn’t find it in yourself to be upset. Sure, you would rather be back home in Brooklyn but to see the place only a handful of outsiders have so far seen could not go unappreciated. You departed the jet and with a brief formal welcome you a T'Challa set off. The path was unknown and the destination a mystery, but still the King of Wakanda knew exactly where he was going and you dared not doubt him.  
“Your Captain speaks highly of you.” T'Challa says airily as you walk. Behind you the large buildings grow smaller and smaller while the sun begins to lower itself into slumber.  
You don't know how to respond so you simply nod along to the statement. T'Challa turns to you, walking slightly behind him and gives a small smirk.  
“I hope you find what you’re looking for.” He offered before turning left at the bank of a large body of water and following the edge to a small set of huts.  
Sitting outside among the small tribe was Bucky, his back to you as he faced a small fire. He looked so different. He had traded tight, dark clothing for loose bold colored clothes. His once loose hair was held half up by a strip of leather. His lethal arm now missing from his body and the empty space covered by fabric that hung from his neck. You found yourself unable to fear the man before you. So different he was from what you remembered.  
“This is where I leave you.” The king broke through your thoughts. You turned around in time to see him head back around the lake when you called out in panic.  
“Wait, what an I supposed to do now?”  
“Heal. The white wolf will guide you.” Was all T'Challa said. You could hear the amusement in his voice and it only made you more unnerved. You knew nothing of the land, the people, or this ‘white wolf’. Was it an actual wolf like a spirit guide? What if you came across a wolf and thought it was the white wolf and it ate you because it was just a normal wolf?  
You were snapped out of your anxious rumination by a small hand grabbing yours a pulling you toward the fire. You allowed the child to guide you over to the tribe of people talking and laughing over something you didn't understand. The child sat down and pulled you with them and you found yourself next to Bucky. He did not acknowledge you just as he had not done so when you arrived with T'Challa. He held a bowl of food between his knees and held a wooden spoon in his only hand, occasionally bringing the contents of the bowl into his mouth and chewing. A similar bowl was shoved into your hands by your new young friend and you nodded in thanks, unsure if they would understand a verbal thank you in English. You ate in silence, observing your new home and its inhabitants with interest. The children, there were four, took special interest in you making you smile as they pulled at your hair and clothes. You felt yourself relaxing as the environment proved to be hospitable.  
“Hey.” You said suddenly in greeting to Bucky, a mood striking you to be friendly towards the so far unwelcoming man.  
He turned to you slowly, his eyes scrutinizing you slowly before offering back a hello. He turned away from you and stared intensely into the fire marking the end of your conversation. Not long after the sun had set the party ended and people headed into the small huts. You watched as each hut was entered, uncertain of where you were expected to go for the night, and for the week. Luckily, though he hadn’t spoken more than that one word, when Bucky rose he indicated with his chin towards one if the buildings and you followed closely in the dim light. He pulled aside the cover on the doorway to reveal a modest sized room and two bed sets on opposite sides. One was obviously his, surrounded by piles of clothes and toiletries while the other side was bare of personal effects. You hadn’t brought more than a few clothes in a backpack you still wore and you set it down at the foot of the bed. Bucky had moved on to his nightly routine while you took in the space and by the time you had opened your backpack he was laying on his back with his eyes closed. You changed quickly, keeping your eyes on Bucky’s closed ones, ready to preserve your modesty should his eyes open. You changed without incident and fell into the low bed. Exhaustion had managed to evade you up until this point and though the bed was not soft or luxurious it was comfortable enough to send you into a restful sleep.  
-  
A rough shake to your shoulder woke you early the next morning. Bucky was already dressed and knelt beside you, but once you sat up he moved away.  
“What time is it?” You moaned, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.  
“Early.”  
You groaned and reached for your backpack, pulling out clothes. Bucky took notice and turned respectfully to face his side of the hut. As you changed you found more questions bubbling in your throat.  
“What are we doing today?”  
“Work.”  
“What kind of work?”  
“You’ll see.”  
You buttoned your pants and stared at the back of his head in annoyance. You were to spend a week together, if he was going to only speak one to two words at a time you would slowly lose it.  
“Who is the white wolf? T'Challa said the white wolf would guide me to healing. Is it a real wolf?” You tried one last question, Bucky turned somehow knowing you were dressed now and regarded you with a frown.  
“They call me White Wolf.” He mumbled. His eyes met yours briefly before he turned and left the hut. You followed eagerly, your shoulders loosening now that you know T'Challa did not speak of an actual wolf.  
You ate a silent breakfast before beginning to walk away from the small lake village. Yet again there was no set path, but Bucky knew the way. You followed, humming softly to yourself after unsuccessfully trying to pry more words from the White Wolf.  
“Goats?” You said out loud, not bothering to hide your surprise. Bucky continued closer to the creatures. You watched for a moment as the small creatures actually came up to greet him. He smiled the first smile you saw from him since you appeared last night. You lightly jogged to catch up to the herd and reached down to pet the closest one to you on its rump.  
“That’s Sam.” Bucky introduced without prompting. You smiled and ran your hand down the goat’s back.  
“Hi Sam.” You couldn’t help but giggle when another animal took notice and sniffed at your other hand.  
“That’s Steve.”  
“Oh you named them after our friends?” You suddenly realized. The idea of Bucky naming these goats after his closest friends was amusing and honestly kind of cute.  
“Who’s that one?” You said pointing to a different goat.  
“Natasha.”  
You laughed loudly and moved your finger across the field learning the names of each creature. There was Wanda, Rebecca (after his sister), and even a Tony (apparently the most stubborn and dramatic of the herd). You ran out of animals to point to and put your arm down heavily, allowing your hand to smack against your thigh with a slight sting.  
“So, no goat named after me then?” You tried to keep the hurt from your voice. Really you had not right to be upset, you and Bucky weren’t close at all. He probably didn’t even think of you before you showed up yesterday. His eyes wouldn’t meet yours and you found yourself only feeling worse.  
-  
The sun slowly rose and set as you spent the day mostly in silence. Bucky would work and after a short observance you would mirror his activities until he told you otherwise. It was rough work and despite your athleticism you could not keep up with the one-armed super soldier. By the time you returned to the village you were absolutely drained.  
You made quick work of dinner and despite the warmth of the flames and the high spirits of the locals you could not shake the cold heaviness that had sat in your stomach since that morning. You felt alone, and worse, lonely in the company of those around you. You excused yourself before Bucky had finished his meal, escaping to the hut you shared hoping you could get a few minutes of solitude.  
After changing into your pajamas you sat on your bed and allowed the tears to fall. You couldn’t understand the hurt you felt because someone you didn’t weren’t even close to did not name a goat after you. But why did everyone else get a goat counterpart? Maybe you weren’t meant to be part of Team Cap if you were so easily sent away, too weak to keep up with the others. You let out a weighty sob and wished desperately for home. With your body drained of energy and your heart heavy you fell asleep before Bucky had come to bed, but that didn't mean he didn't see your tear stained face.  
-  
The days continued in the same fashion and you found yourself favoring Bucky’s silence and using the tactic yourself. The one exception was the goats, when Bucky was far enough away you would chat with the small furry animals as if they understood the meaningless conversations.  
“I miss Steve.” You told Steve the goat as you scratched his head.  
“I miss you too Wanda.” You giggled when Wanda the goat pushed Steve the goat out from underneath your hand.  
“I miss a lot of things.” You said absently. The tears gathered in your eyes and before you could hold them back they ran down your face. The animals, unconcerned with your sorrow, only knew your attention was lost when you curled into yourself, your hands wrapping around your calves and your head resting on your knees. You rocked yourself gently back and forth, succumbing to the heartache you had been ignoring during daylight.  
You didn’t know how long you had been crying before you felt a presence beside you but it wasn’t long enough for your tears to dry. When the strong arm looped around your shoulders and pulled you close you let yourself fall into Bucky’s chest.  
“Why?” You sobbed into his already sweat soaked shirt. You didn't know what question you wanted answered. Why were you here? Why did your friends send you away? Why couldn't you just go back home? Why did you have to be so weak? Why did you have no one to talk to? Why didn’t Bucky like you? Why didn't you have a damned goat named after you?  
You heard the panicked bleating before you realized the ground was quaking beneath you. It was the bakery all over again. Your body shook with the trembling earth and your breathing became labored. You felt your chin wretched up and the hand clasped around the side of your head.  
“Hey, look at me.” Bucky’s voice penetrated your heavy breaths and the blood pumping in your ears. Your wide wild eyes met his shining blue gaze and you anchored yourself desperately to his worried face and your hands reached desperately for him, finding their way onto his chest and grabbing handfuls of his shirt.  
“Help me please Bucky. Help me. I can't do this again I can’t.” You begged. He shushed you soothingly and pulled you into his lap, his bicep against your ear as he pulled you cheek to cheek.  
“Listen to me, just focus on my voice. Everything is okay. You’re here with me, you’re not alone. Listen doll, I know what will make you happy: I’m going to rename the goats, all of 'em. They will all be named after you from now on.”  
You couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled in your throat. Bucky’s eyes crinkled in the corners as he pulled back to stare into your eyes.  
“And every day I’ll tell them they’re too beautiful to cry.” He whispered, gently brushing your tears away. “I’ll tell them the White Wolf is here to guide them and protect them. And I would apologize for not doing so from the beginning because I was scared the goats wouldn't like me.”  
“Something tells me you’re not talking about the goats anymore.” You sniffed, loosening a tightly closed fist from Bucky’s shirt and using to wipe at your nose. He shook his head, his smile slightly bashful. You acted quickly before you lost the nerve to solidify this bond. You placed a grateful kiss to his bearded cheek.  
“Thank you.” You whispered before pulling back. He didn't allow you to go far his hand still curled around the back of your head. He leaned in and kissed your forehead softly, his hair tickling against your lashes. He held the kiss far longer than you had dared to, allowing you to savor the flutter of your heart.  
When you parted and finally looked around you surveyed the damage. The land you and Bucky were sitting on was broken and fresh earth rolled from the fissures between spots of grass. The animals had fled a good, safe distance away and not to far from the herd were a band of Wakanda natives, staring and pointing across the field at you and Bucky. You felt shame and embarrassment creep it’s way into your skin and you hid your face in Bucky’s neck.  
“Don't worry,” he assured you, “they’re used to weird things happening around here.”  
You didn’t believe him, as the people of Wakanda had probably never seen a hysterical woman level the miles of land. But you allowed yourself to laugh along with the deep rumble in Bucky’s chest.  
-  
It got easier from there. Words flowed between the two of you easily as you spoke of the things you had in common: Steve, enhanced abilities, and a geeky love for science and technology. Sometimes the words were harder: talking about family and the things you missed about normal life. But there was another topic you mutually refused to speak of: time. It edged closer to the day you were set to leave yet you both ignored the looming inevitability of your separation.  
Yet you really did feel better. Despite not reuniting with your family and home in Brooklyn you had found a new home in Wakanda and a new family in it’s people, and in Bucky.  
“Good morning.” Bucky murmured, gently stroking your face to wake you. You smiled and stretched uttering your own goodmorning. You sat up and took in Bucky’s appearance.  
“You’re not dressed?” You questioned. He was still clothed in his sleeping clothes and his feet were bare. The sight only confused your sleepy mind.  
“I know. I didn't want to…well I didn't want to miss the chance…” You watched him stutter and stumble over his words, absolutely perplexed at the situation.  
“Can I- may I?” He finally concluded, gesturing with his only hand to the thin sliver of bedding you didn't occupy. Your pulse quickened as you moved further over on the small bed, allowing him to lay next to you. You lay face to face, Bucky’s head on the pillow you offered him as he had no arm to cushion him on that side. His eyes were bright but forlorn as they looked into yours. He rested his hand on your cheek and stroked it gently for a few minutes before whispering words so quietly you had to strain to hear him.  
“I thought being alone would be better; for me and for everyone. But then you showed up and changed my mind. You and me, we didn't have a good relationship, because before you only knew the Winter Soldier. I was so afraid I would look into your eyes and see hatred or distrust. Thank you for these last few days. I think I love you for them.” He let out a shaky breath, as if he hadn’t breathed through his whole diatribe.  
Love. He said he thinks he loves you. The idea was frightening, startling, and all together…it made sense. You reached your arm out and let your hand rest gently on his hip.  
“Come back with me.”  
You could see the struggle in his eyes as he weighed his options. There would be so much more to consider with coming back, more than just you and him.  
“This is my home now. I don’t want to go back to fighting and running and hiding. You could stay here, with me. This can be your home too.”  
And there was the counter offer, one that you had to seriously consider. Didnt you want the same things? Isn't all the running and hiding what drove you to the breakdown that sent you here in the first place? Had you not found peace after months of restlessness? But could you abandon all you knew to tend to the fields and animals and live in this small hut without access to the rest of the world? You were quiet for too long. Bucky’s lips met your forehead and it felt too final for your liking. Breaking the contact you tilted your head up to meet his lips with your own.  
The hand on your cheek moved to the back of your head and held you gently to him while your own hand tightened around his waist and pulled your bodies closer. You tasted a salty wetness as your lips moved against each other and you couldn't tell if the tears were yours or his.  
The loud laughter of the children just outside the thin blanket covering your doorway pulled the two of you apart. You wiped your eyes and snickered as Bucky did the same. The laughter subsided into the smallest of smiles as you laid there unmoving, just taking in the beautiful soul you had gotten to know and were so pained to leave in a few hours.  
-  
T'Challa came to collect you not long after you and Bucky had gotten up and dressed for the day. You insisted that Bucky go about his day as normal, and after much debate he finally conceded and set off the opposite way of you and the King. You turned back frequently to watch him until he was only a dot on the horizon.  
“Is is safe to say you enjoyed your time in Wakanda?” T'Challa smiled knowingly, having watched the exchange between you and Bucky long before he revealed himself.  
“Yes, thank you for the hospitality.” You said politely, your mouth was on autopilot but your brain and heart were battling a silent war.  
“Are you sure you would rather not stay? I daresay you and Sergeant Barnes would be rather happy here.”  
You stayed quiet, trying desperately to keep the tightening in your throat from sticking around. Fortune smiled upon you for T'Challa said nothing more about staying in Wakanda or Bucky which allowed you to keep your composer as you entered the city.  
You were left to your own devices as the plane was readied for departure. You felt like running, running back to Bucky before you could be taken an entire continent away and the option was seized from you.  
You were unable to sit and wait any longer. You allowed your restless feet to lead you wherever they were compelled. The smooth polished flooring was long left behind when your pace quickened to a desperate sprint.  
You ran until your lungs burned and could only pray you were running in the right direction. You heard your name being called faintly, the direction uncertain but ultimately ignored. It wasn’t until your name was called again, this time closer that you slowed your stride.  
“Bucky?” You panted.  
Bucky was just as out of breath as you, hunched over with his hands on his knees. You felt like crying at the sight of him, a sight you never thought you would see again.  
“What the hell are you doing?” He asked as he straightened up, his breath returning to normal. You walked toward each other, meeting in the middle. You closed the final bit of space between you with a large hug around his middle. You laid your head against Bucky’s chest and relished in the beating of his heart beneath your ear.  
“I want to stay.” You spoke into his chest, your words muffled but altogether not unheard based on the way Bucky’s arms encircled you and began to sway you back and forth. “I want to stay with you and animals and the-”  
You were cut off my smiling lips pressing to yours. You swallow the laughter he was unable to suppress between kisses greedily and found your own lips hard pressed to stay together.  
“I’m so glad you want to make this your home.” He whispered against your lips as he held you close, your noses brushing lightly.  
“Home is wherever I’m with you.” You whispered back.  
Neither of you realized the aircraft to take you home never came or that T'Challa didn’t have anyone come looking for you after you left the city. A week in Wakanda turned into a month, then multiple months and the two of you lived free from the running, hiding, and fighting, only finding peace as you slept in each other’s arms each night.  
At least until Captain America called on his team once more, this time for the end of the world. After that day you would never feel home again.


End file.
